A liveaboard who is frugal usually does keep watch on all boats in the area, recycles (hey I found a sail in a dumpster in San Francisco that I gave to a fellow sailor in Providencia), we are generally educated, do tip the 20%, have little debt because we continually save for boat maintenance and the occasional cruise.

I have also pulled items out the skip etc., I even part fitted out a boat!

I now live onboard for the love of it! I just enjoy the lifestyle, and it does change people too. I have had a couple of landlubbers live with me for a while - in return for labour and honest company. They leave as a different person. They are much happier, healthier people.

Ive often wondered what draws people to the water. Not drawn to it like the occasional urge for a burger, but like a sunflower is drawn to the sun. It just tracks it, seeks it and kinda droops when its not around. I dunno, for me its simple. you gotta live somewhere, why not in your own little piece of paradise--however you define it. OP, I hope you have found yours, if not I hope you have fun looking for it.

I like your post BL. I found it uplifting. I haven't been poor since I was a kid, though I've always been thrifty. Some people say that I'm lucky to be retired and sailing. I take that in a positive way. But my my "luck" came through action: saving money for years, carrying no credit debt, driving old cars. I worked full time from 18-48 years old. It also was a positive decision to stay in a small house with an old car so that I can enjoy the greatest luxury: time.

I enjoyed your post here but I must say that the first half of the reading was more uplifting. I think our country, government and president should think about such a lifestyle instead of always trying to push people beyond their means. Not to get political here but why does the media and gov need to focus on things like lending rates and the lack of borrowing going on in the economy in such a negative way? Why is that such a bad thing - the humbling of America through this recession has made people slow down of useless spending and the savings rate is the highest its ever been in decades. We are living within our means for the first time in a long time and to me that is a good thing.

i am what they call a full timmer i live in my rv and sail on weekends the best part i have found in either is the comradery you find with others living like you do have been in this park fo just over a month and regurlary have bbqs with neighbors when im living on my boat same thing and the best part of both is if i dont like my neighbors its easy to weigh anchor and move.

In my case, I made a conscious decision to retire early (giving up a well paying secure job) to move aboard, knowing I might have to work from time to time (I've never found it that hard to get work if I really want it). A decision I don't regret.

If I gain the skill level desired for sailing competently on my current 23 footer and my health doesn't fail me, I'd like to live aboard a larger boat when I stop working. I'm saving my money in a 401k that is low risk at 10% per check, with a 5% employer match. I'm not anywhere close to retirement though.

I'm thinking the sailboat live-aboard lifestyle would be awesome. I know a live-aboard fellow who is my absolute sailing guru, and I occasionally hire him to help fix things on my boat. I'm going to help him rebuild the stripped out insidesof a 30-footer he's going to buy real soon. Amazing potential there, and it caused me to dream, dream, dream.

I'm learning something new every day about boating, and I think about sailing most of my waking moments.

Edited to add: I'm very good at living cheap, if need be. I make most everything food-wise from scratch, have a few skills beyond my job, so I think I'll make it just fine living on the water, eventually.

...................
CaptainF,
You had enough money, or enough income, or enough whatever, to have choices, so living aboard was a choice you made. Therefore, you fall into category #1............................

Ok, so by your strange taxonomy I'm placed in the category of those that live aboard because they can afford to live aboard, but this implies those that have the funds would choose this life. Nothing could be further than the truth. Many people (most fulltime cruisers) work very hard to gain the ability to live aboard their boats. They are not aboard for the purpose of low income housing and they are not born with "silver spoons" and lounging about the yacht club. Like my wife and I, they are purpose driven and frugal in their choices in order to live as they choose. Most liveaboards are not the not the product of priviledge or despair, but the result of a strong work ethic and wise budgeting. Take care and joy, Aythya crew

Taking out the autobiographical nature of the rest of the post, BL is simply saying that some people live on boats. One subset of that 'some' have enough money to do it in a sustainable way, and another subset of that 'some' don't have enough money to do it, and can't sustain the lifestyle.

CF, this is no different than saying some people have enough money to buy homes and look after them while they live in them, and some people have enough money to buy homes, but not enough to look after them while they're in them. I don't take that to say I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth if I own a home, just that I have a plan (income or savings) to do it 'properly' (if the societal norm of maintaining your house is indeed proper), and if I don't, my home will fall into disrepair.

I'm not sure that anybody who truly believes that the latter in either case is a good plan, can be disabused of that notion by reading BL's post (but I'll be damned if he hasn't tried really hard to enlighten them).

It's interesting how earth-shattering life changes (like Divorce, as bljones brought up) can reconnect you to your true self and help show you what's really important in life. I may be young but I have already had my share of earth-shattering life changes that have helped me appreciate things more. I'm sure I will have more in the future, as well.

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